Shattered Royals
by freedalexis6159
Summary: Alexis is a princess whose existence has been devoid of friendship. But what happens when she meets an intelligent young man who seems intent on breaking through Alexis' protective guard to see her for who she truly is? And what happens when more people start to become too friendly with her after Armin? Rated T for future foul language
1. Chapter 1: First Glance

Hi all! S, this is my first SNK fanfic. Please do review and tell me what you think about it!

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or any of its characers. I only own Alexis, my OC in this story.

Anyways, let's get started!

* * *

I'm not going to lie; living the princess life is _not_ easy.

I mean, sure, you get everything you want when you want it, but there are also way too many rules and restrictions to live by. I mean, sit up straight at all times? What sane teenager in my day did that anyway?

Most of you reading this would probably say, "But you should enjoy your relaxed lifestyle." Relaxed? My life is anything _but_ relaxed. It's full of constant diplomatic meetings and then regal galas… don't even get me _started_ on those. Basically you would just sit around and look dignified and do nothing except talk politely. I'm sorry, but _boring_.

Also, being a princess means that you have no friends except for the butlers, and even that was rare. I always led a lonely life, except for when I talked to my personal maid, Hanji. She was eccentric, and I had been much nicer to her rather than my own mother. I was courteous to my mother, but I was myself around Hanji; there was a major difference. Hanji didn't care about etiquette, and around her I felt… free, like nothing was holding me down.

But when my parents found out about our friendship she was moved to another royal family in another country. I was devastated; we weren't even allowed to say hi if she came back to this palace for a visit. But from that I learned not to make friends and just focus on your studies; or if you do make friends, keep them a secret. This caused me to harden my heart and prevent anyone from entering too easily; I would hurt them more than they would hurt me if I was in their life.

But one day, I was in a gala that celebrated my sixteenth birthday. Needless to say I was bored out of my mind during it; for one who should be enjoying the party, this wasn't really being celebrated in any way, shape, or form. My parents were away on an emergency diplomatic trip, and it was all strangers at the party. So I sat in the throne, listening to the orchestra play. Oh, how I desperately wanted to fly to my room, grab my violin, and join the orchestra in their playing! It seemed so much less boring to be playing music rather than just sitting down with nothing but your thoughts to keep you occupied.

I sighed, and straightened my back, realizing that I had begun slouching in the throne. Then, practically out of nowhere, I heard a voice next to me. "Would you care for a dance, Lady Princess?"

I looked up and stifled a gasp. A handsome boy a year older than me, with gorgeous, ocean-blue eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair, held out his hand, waiting for me to respond.

Smiling, I held my own hand out. "I would love to," I said quietly, and as he grabbed my hand ever so gently I stood up. "But please, sir, do call me simply Alexis," I added.

He looked at me in surprise. "I suppose I could," he said, apparently musing over the matter. "If I call you Alexis then, Lady, you may call me just Armin."

Smiling, I nodded. "Alright then, Armin."

He smiled and pulled me onto the dance floor. Letting go of my hand temporarily, he bowed as the music began. I curtsied, and then we began to dance.

It was a traditional, slow, ballroom dance, as all dances were, but nevertheless I enjoyed myself. It was comforting to hold someone's hand, even if for a dance. It was like I had been missing out on the simple pleasures of life for all of my sixteen years. Waltzing, when not being taught by instructors, actually turned out to be quite fun, and I found myself laughing quietly as Armin and I glided along the dance floor.

When I wasn't laughing, we were chatting politely. "Do you like to read?" I asked, and Armin nodded, his eyes shining brightly.

"I love books on the ocean," he said.

"The ocean?" I asked. "That sounds so cool! Do you know much about it?"

Armin smiled and went on a long rant about the ocean, it's creatures, and the view of it at sunset. As we glided around on the dance floor, I was suddenly transported to the sandy shoreline, and it was just me and Armin dancing on the beach. It was heaven, to say the absolute least. Armin obviously enjoyed talking about the ocean, so I let him continue.

When the song ended, however, Armin thanked me for the dance and left the dance floor immediately. I watched him go sadly, then walked slowly back to the throne, where I knew I would sit for the rest of the night. If any of the servants saw me dancing and _chatting_ with the boy, they would tell my parents when they got back, and my mother would scold me for striking up mild relations with a boy of my own age, even if simply amiable. Praying for the best, I simply sat in the throne and watched the dancing life pass me by for another two hours.

Midnight finally came, and the party was dismissed. As I waved goodbye to the final guest, I noticed a boy standing behind one of the pillars by the doorway. When I looked up, he was gone, and I wondered whether I had just imagined him.

I walked back up to my room. The constant presence of servants in the halls bothered me for some reason; I felt as if something was wrong in the palace. Ignoring the servants, I entered my room and got ready to go to sleep. Letting my hair down from it's annoying up-do, I sighed in relief as the long, brown locks spilled down my back. I slipped out of my formal dress and put on my nightgown. Immediately I felt like I could breathe and I collapsed onto the bed, carefully acting like a lady should; climbing under the covers slowly, then turning off the light from the lamp, and then immediately falling asleep.

Of course, no one immediately falls asleep when they climb into a bed, so I simply lay there, pondering about the boy, Armin. Where had he come from, and why was he so amiable to dancing with me tonight, even though he knew he could be severely punished?

The last thing I remember thinking was his smile while talking about the ocean before sleep overtook me.


	2. Chapter 2: The Morning After

"Lady Princess, wake up."

I groaned and looked up after opening my eyes. A new servant was standing above me, and I smiled. "Good morning, miss," I said, and climbed out of the bed.

She smiled. "Pardon my speaking, but the maids and butlers say that your heart is cold as ice. Is this true?"

I stopped in my tracks. Looking up, I noticed the woman was wearing a red scarf, strikingly similar to the one I saw another noble at the party wearing last night. But, reluctantly, I nodded.

"I'm only cold because I have no friends," I expressed quietly. "My life has been essentially etiquette training and royal meetings and galas. I've only had one friend, but she got sent away because she was a butler. After that, I tried chilling my heart, and it's pretty much a stone now."

The woman nodded. "I know Hanji," she said. "We used to work together in the Italian royal family before I transferred here. Oh, I'm Lady Mikasa," she added, and I smiled.

"Please, just call me Alexis when it's just the two of us," I said. She looked at me, wide eyed.

"But, my lady!" she exclaimed. "It's not proper."

I laughed lightly. "When you are by yourself, who cares about the necessity to be proper?" I asked, and Mikasa smiled. "If you insist, Alexis."

I smiled, and walked over to my closet, Mikasa following close behind. "So, do you know my schedule, Mikasa?" I asked.

She nodded. "Just one regal gathering tonight to celebrate your sixteenth, but you are free for the rest of the day."

I groaned. "How many parties do I need to celebrate the same dang thing?" I asked, and Mikasa laughed while finding a casual dress for em to wear while walking about the castle. When she came out with an orange gown, I giggled. "An orange gown for casual occasions?" I asked, and Mikasa smiled. "You're right; this is probably too formal. Let me go grab you something else."

She turned to walk back in, and I chased after her briefly. "Let me go with you," I said. "I haven't even seen half of my collection."

She nodded and let me in. Browsing my closet full of dresses, I picked out a sleek, a-line light blue dress to wear during the day. Mikasa had no objections, and as I put the dress on she put my hair in a quick side braid.

When we finished, we heard a quick knock on the door. Mikasa stood up to answer it, and it was at this point that I realized she had a dagger attached to her right thigh. Before I could ask her, though, she had reached the door and opened it.

From where I was sitting I wasn't able to see it, but I heard the two exchange a sort of casual greeting before Mikasa reentered the room. This time she had a boy in her tow. He had brown hair and bright green eyes, as well as one of the butler's uniforms.

Mikasa smiled at me. "Lady, this is my foster brother, Eren. He has just moved to the palace's services with me last night." Turning to the boy, she added, "She has requested me to simply call her Alexis; I think you should too."

Eren nodded and turned to me. "Very well then, _Alexis_," he said, exaggerating the last word and bowing excessively. Unable to control myself, I started giggling like I was five again.

"I don't think you need to do that, sir," I commented, and Eren smiled goofily. "Oh, I have a message to deliver to you," he said, apparently just remembering the reason he had come here. "It's from your parents; they trust that you enjoyed the gala yesterday and that you will be happy to have another one tonight in celebration of your birthday again."

I nodded. "Please give them my regards when you have the chance, Eren. Tell them that I enjoyed the gala and am excited to host another one tonight."

Eren nodded. "But since we are here with you, Mikasa and I figured that we should get to know you a little better. Does that sound okay?"

My eyes widened. "My parents send away any person that I try to have amiable relations with. I'm sorry, but if we do get to know each other, we need to keep it a secret. A really, _really,_ covered-up secret. Can you do that?"

The two nodded. "We have relations that can assure that your secrets are safe with us. Well, where did you intend to go, my lady?"

I pondered. "Well, I plan on going to the dining hall for breakfast first, then I plan on walking to my reading nook in the gardens. Do you care to join me?"

The two looked ecstatic at the thought as we walked out of my rooms. "Of course, Alexis," Mikasa smiled warmly. "However, we shall meet you at the gardens, as we have some business to attend to before the gala tonight."

I nodded. "I should go. I'll see you later!" I smiled brightly as we waved to each other and departed for separate wings of the castle.


	3. Chapter 3: Kings and Horses

The dining hall was in the west wing of the palace, whereas my rooms were in the northern wing. It was a five minute walk, and I was glad for the quiet walk, where I could think. Why was everyone so intent on getting to know me all of a sudden? It seemed strange, and I didn't understand how Mikasa would want to be friends with my cold-hearted self.

Walking into the dining hall was like walking into a heaven. I loved food, and whenever no one was around I would always gorge myself with food until my parents showed up. The dining hall smelled of roasted turkeys and some of the best cakes I had ever eaten.

Walking to one of the chefs in the little entrance to the kitchen, I smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Springer," I said as he turned around.

The balding chef, or Connie as everyone called him, looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning, Lady Princess," he said, and he found a plate, putting some pancakes onto it. Passing it back to me, he asked, "Would you like anything else on top of your pancakes, my lady?"

I shook my head. "Thank you though, Connie," I said as I walked away. Taking a seat towards the entrance of the room, I began to eat my food eloquently until I heard someone else storm in.

"Lord King!" Connie shouted, and as I looked up I suppressed a groan. The King, otherwise known as Jean Kirstein, was the man to whom my hand in marriage was promised. He was supposed to be a prince, but since his father died he had become the ruler in place of his absent mother. To be honest, I hated his guts, but since it was an arranged marriage, there was nothing I could do about hating him or wanting nothing to do with him.

As I stood up to go, the King turned around and smiled as he noticed me. "Good morning, dear," he said. "How are you feeling this fine morning?"

"King Kirstein," I said as I put down my fork and curtsied. "How have you been?"

He smiled. "I can't complain about my life. Ruling a country is hard, but it's nothing I can't get used to. What do you have this afternoon?"

I shrugged. "I have to get ready for another gala tonight, and knowing my chambermaid that's going to take up the entire afternoon. But before that I'm going to read in the gardens."

He nodded. Everyone knew not to bother me when I was reading, because I could get very snippy. Perfect excuse to get king Horseface away from me.

"Well then, I should get going," he said, and I stood with him to give him a proper farewell. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" he asked, and I nodded.

"See you then," I said, and without warning I was swept into his arms and given a kiss on the cheek. Well, what was supposed to be a kiss. It was the most revolting thing ever. When I call him Horseface, I didn't imagine he would slobber all over my face like a freaking horse would.

He put me down and left. As soon as he was out of sight I shuddered and wiped the saliva away from my mouth. Still mentally cringing, I gave my plate of food back to the kitchen and walked out to the gardens, carrying a small book with me so I would be undisturbed.

I walked quietly to my reading nook, which was a gazebo on the far edge of the gardens. Sitting down and waiting for my friends, I opened the book and started to read.

I always envied the characters in my books, because they had several friends. Friends, which were the things I lacked in my life. Sometimes, I wish I could have led a normal life and have a few friends. But here I was, forced to marry Horseface and live without a single friend I could talk openly about.

Two minutes later I heard someone walking up the gazebo steps. Looking up briefly I saw that it was one of the maids, Krista.

"Lady Princess," she said, her blonde hair flowing in the wind as it blew mildly. "Sasha suggested that you return to your rooms to get ready for the gala tonight."

Sasha was my clothing and makeup artist, and it was essentially whatever she said, goes. Sighing, I nodded. "Alright, I'm going to my rooms."

Krista nodded. "I'll make sure to tell Eren and Mikasa about where you are."

I stopped and looked at her seriously. "How exactly did you find out about that?" I asked.

"I passed right by you guys as you made the plans," she said. "But don't worry; your secret is safe with me. Your parents won't know about it. Do try and make the plans in secret, not in the middle of the halls, however."

I nodded and said, "Thank you Krista. Why don't you go to the kitchen and get a hot chocolate from Connie? A treat from me, if you will."

Krista smiled brightly. "Thank you my lady!" she exclaimed, and she skipped off.

Sighing, I leaned against one of the pillars in the gazebo. Why the hell did Sasha want to get me ready for this earlier than usual? It wasn't even noon yet, and the gala would start at six.

I pushed myself upright and started walking to my rooms. Walking for ten minutes around the castle calmed me down and by the time I reached my rooms, Sasha was waiting for me outside the door.

"What took you so long, my lady?" she asked. Before I could answer, she dragged me into my rooms and the preparations began.


	4. Chapter 4: The Second Night, part I

'Goddammit,' I thought. 'How long is this going to take Sasha?!'

Several hours later, Sasha still hasn't gotten the hair how she wanted it. After picking out a bright pink dress with gems on the bust for the gala, she was having issues curling my hair exactly how she wanted it.

Sasha took a bite out of her bread. I swear to God, she had eaten five loaves of bread during the entire process. No wonder she and Connie were best friends; they were both food lovers.

After that she smiled. "Perfect!" she exclaimed, and I turned to look at myself in the mirror.

Immediately I saw that Sasha had done a good job. I had no idea what she did to the hair, but it fell in large, brunette, curled sections and was bunched together on one side. A tiara was placed at the top of my head, and I smiled. Then my face fell as I saw the time.

It was five thirty; time to make my way over to the ballroom and start greeting the guests. Sighing, I got up and walked into the hall. Surprisingly I ran into Eren, who immediately blushed upon seeing me.

"You look nice, Lady Princess," he commented, and after that comment I felt my own cheeks flush. "Thank you, sir," I said, and in a whisper so that only he could hear, "You don't look so bad yourself tonight."

With that we walked to the ballroom. King Jean met us halfway and, while glaring at Eren, grabbed my hand and escorted me to the ballroom. I gave Eren an apologetic look as I was dragged along, and finally we arrived. I looked at my throne sadly. There I would be stuck for another six hours, with no release of thoughts or emotions. Just fake smiles and plaster emotions, as well as fake alcohol.

My mind snapped back to reality as I heard another set of footsteps enter the room. Realizing that the party had begun, I began greeting guests with Jean as they came through the grand doorways, not expecting anything special to happen that night.

* * *

Several hours later, around nine o'clock, I noticed two figures approaching me. I kindly stood to greet them, and I smiled.

"Lady Queen," I greeted as I curtsied. "How do you do tonight?"

The lady smiled. "I, and the country of Italy, am doing well. How is Germany, Lady Princess?"

"Germany is doing well, my lady," I responded. "We are currently in preparation for my union with King Jean of France."

She smiled. "I have two new servants that came to join your palace, Lady. Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Jaeger. Have you met them yet?"

I nodded. "They seem like they would be a nice addition to the palace," I commented, an the figure next to the Queen of Italy laughed quite boisterously.

"Ymir," I warned, sending her a death glare. She merely scoffed, but she quieted down. The Queen said her farewell, and she departed.

At that point, I was _so_ done with this party, I didn't even care if anyone noticed my absence. Jean was missing, presumably to flirt with some of the princesses in the party. Standing up quietly, I walked out onto the balcony and enjoyed my glass of apple cider, or what was left of it, more accurately. Simply watching over the gardens made me peaceful, as it was significantly quieter out here than it was in the ballroom.

I stiffened as I heard someone open the balcony door, expecting someone to drag me back into the gala. On the contrary, that person closed the door and simply walked to stand next to me on the balcony. The man turned his head to look at me. "Alexis, do you remember me?" he asked, and my eyes widened in recognition.

"Armin," I breathed, and he smiled, shifting slightly closer to me.


	5. Chapter 5: The Second Night, part II

"Sorry about running off last night," Armin said. "My mom would have killed me if she saw us together because, you know, you are _engaged_..."

I knew that the last part was meant in kindness, but it still sent a pang of hurt through my heart. Ignoring it, I smiled as I turned to face him fully. "Yeah, I'm engaged," I expressed somberly, "but quite frankly I wish that sometimes I wasn't. Jean would make the worst husband." Seeing Armin's expression, I added hurriedly, "What? We were matched when we were five!"

Armin laughed, a light sound that I rather enjoyed. "Five?" he spluttered through his giggles, and I couldn't help but begin to giggle along with him. "Even my mom wouldn't have me engaged that early!" he continued.

I cocked my head. "Why would your mother match you?" I asked, absolutely confused. I felt like I had seen him somewhere before, not the party last night, but before that...

Armin shrugged. "My mom is Austria's queen. That makes me the prince of Austria."

I felt my eyes widen as I curtsied quickly. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you earlier Lord Prince!" I exclaimed as I felt my cheeks flush. Taking my hand, Armin brought me back to my standing position. "Don't worry about it," he said, smiling. "If you hadn't been sitting in the throne yesterday, I wouldn't have recognized you either."

Armin sighed. "What's it like, being engaged to King Jean of France?"

I scoffed. "Please. He visits the court way too frequently and slobbers all over my cheek whenever he's here."

Armin cocked his head. "He slobbers all over your cheek?" he asked. "How does he do that?"

"When he kisses me."

"Oh."

After that we just stood on the balcony in a comfortable silence. I toyed with the ring that Jean gave me when I was fifteen, a simple diamond ring with an emerald inlaid in the center. I kept it on a chain so I wouldn't lose it, but as I played with the chain, I wondered why my heart never fluttered for anyone. I was sixteen, after all, and usually by this age most teens have fallen in love once.

I looked at Armin. He, too, seemed preoccupied by his thoughts while overlooking the gardens. Turning back to the people lounging in the gardens, I sighed.

Seconds later I heard the rustling of cloth and felt something being draped over my shoulder. "Armin," I said, "you don't have to give me your jacket, you know."

He smiled, his innocent blue eyes boring into mine. "I know that, but I want to; besides, you're shivering like crazy."

When I opened my mouth to protest, I shut it immediately, because I knew that Armin was right. I was shivering like crazy, and it was a nice gesture.

"Thanks," I mumbled, and Armin drew me closer to his body, laughing. I don't know whether his action was intentional or not, but I smiled as he did. For some odd reason, it felt right to be next to him.

"Prince Arlert!" I heard, and Armin and I turned around. A stout woman of about forty was standing in the doorway of the balcony, looking angry as hell. "Prince Arlert, get over here right now, you insolent young man!"

I looked at Armin, and he looked at me. I quickly shrugged his jacket off of my shoulders and gave it back to him. "Thanks again for the jacket, Lord Prince," I said, and he smiled.

"You're quite welcome, Lady Princess. I trust I will see you again soon?" he asked.

I nodded. "The gazebo in the gardens at midnight," I said so that only he could hear. Armin nodded, and with that, he kissed my hand and left to the woman's side.

I watched them go wistfully. 'At least Armin had a woman that always stayed by his side,' I thought, and my heart broke as I realized that my parents were almost never around. All of my birthdays were celebrated in their absence, and my last non-Princess-lesson memory of them was from when I was five, and my father would give me piggyback rides throughout the halls. I saw the ground of the balcony becoming wet, and when I put a hand to my face, I realized that I was crying. Upon that realization, I couldn't stop, and I kneeled in the corner of the balcony and sobbed my heart out.

* * *

After about ten minutes, I collected myself. My sobbing had relatively quelled down, and making sure I didn't soak my dress, I walked back into the ballroom. However, the door opened before I even reached it, and a woman dressed in orange stepped out. I stepped back quickly, not quite sure what to make of the person in the dress. I didn't make up my mind until the person wearing it spoke up. "Lady Mikasa told me that I would find you here, Lady Princess," she said. In a slightly preoccupied voice, "Do you not recognize me?"

Looking at the woman, I saw matte brown hair in an elegant side ponytail and a slender face accentuated with thinly-framed glasses. Unable to control sobs once again, I leaned into my former maid's arms. "Oh my God, Hanji!" I practically shouted. "I missed you so much!"

Hanji smiled wistfully. "I know, Alexis. And I missed you too."

I stayed there, sobbing for a minute and then collecting myself, I spoke to Hanji as we wound our way through the crowds in the ballroom.

Hanji had moved to the Italian royal family after her transfer when I was seven, to research some of the odd chemicals found in the royal family's water supply. She met Mikasa and when she heard that Mikasa was to move here with her brother, she demanded to see them into their new environment. "I did it so I could see you and talk to you," she explained. "I knew your parents were away, so I decided to take full use of the opportunity."

I smiled as Hanji talked, realizing just how much I missed to woman who was like a mother to me. When she finished, I gave her a big hug, which she returned.

"I will be staying in the northern wing of the castle for the next two weeks," she said, and I smiled. "That's where my rooms are," I said, and Hanji nodded.

"The Prince of Austria is staying in the wing as well," Hanji commented. "Speaking of him," she added as she saw my blushing, "I saw you two on the balcony together earlier. Would you care explain that?"

I looked at her. "He was nice enough to dance with me last night," I said, "and after I had stepped onto the balcony, he found me and we talked for a while."

"And why did you have his jacket on?"

"He draped it around my shoulders because I was cold. I protested, but he didn't listen."

Hanji nodded. "Oh, it's midnight. I believe you promised someone a meeting now…?"

Realizing that she was right, I thanked Hanji and departed for the gazebo in the gardens. Being very careful not to soil my dress, I stepped on the path in the gardens very delicately. My heels clicking on the paving stones, I reached the gazebo with minimal trouble. Surprisingly, it was devoid of people entirely, except for…

"King Kirstein," I said, curtsying at the man who had a cape draped over his kingly armor.

Jean nodded at me. "I figured I would see you here at some point tonight. Here, I wanted to give you something."

I walked up to the king, knowing better than to refuse him. He looked at the ring around my neck and frowned, Gently removing it from its chain, he placed it on my ring finger. "I want you to keep it there from now on," he said, and I nodded. "It's supposed to be a symbol of our future union, and I won't have you hanging it around your neck.

"Anyways, what I wanted to give you was this." He handed me a small box tied with a ribbon. When I opened it, I saw a cross necklace in the packaging.

Thank you, Lord King. It's very pretty." He smiled as he turned me around to help me put it on. When that was finished, Jean sighed. "I have to ride back to France for family issues. I'll be back in about a month, okay?" I nodded, my mouth slightly dry. "I will see you in a month, Lord King."

He bent down and slobbered all over my cheek again. The he left. When he was out of my line of vision I shuddered, wiped his saliva off of my cheek, and put the ring back on its chain, not wanting it on my finger.

* * *

_A/N I'm so sorry guys about my less frequent updating __with shorter chapters! School's been such a drag and I barely have time to rest, let alone write other parts of this. I promise that I'll get back into the swing of things soon._


	6. Chapter 6: The Second Night, part III

Hearing footsteps behind me, I looked up to see Armin approaching me. "Did Jean 'kiss' you again?" he asked, a smiling playing at his lips as he finger-quoted the word 'kiss.' I nodded and felt a flush creep up my face. Looking at me, he invited me to sit down on the bench. I complied, and he sat down right next to me. Strangely, it felt better than it ever did with anyone else, even my parents.

"My mom had a fit after she found me," he commented, and I looked up. "Oh? The woman that found you on the balcony?" I asked, and he nodded. "Geez, I'm sorry about that," I said, and Armin just smiled at me.

"Don't worry about it," he commented. "I'm used to it, and I'm happy that I'm saying in the northern wing of the palace as far away from her as possible."

"The northern wing?" I repeated, and he said, "Yep. And, if I may, where are your rooms?"

The northern wing as well," I said, and I felt myself blush yet again. Even in the darkness I saw Armin' face become red, and I gave him a pat on the back, as well as a brief side hug.

Shrugging it off, I sighed. "How have you been enjoying the galas these past two days?" I asked. Armin looked at me and responded, "They were okay, but they were so much better when I started talking to you."

I smiled at the comment, reflecting on how happy I had felt these past two days, including meeting Mikasa, Eren, and Armin. "I suppose I should be thanking you," I said, "for allowing me to dance and talk with you. That was the most fun I've ever had in a long time."

Armin nodded, and we heard a lone violin in the distance. Well, maybe not _so_ in the distance, because when I looked up I saw Erwin Smith himself, the best violinist in the palace, giving us the thumbs-up. With that, Armin smiled, laughed, and inquired, "Would you care to dance with me once more, lady?"

Without responding I beamed up at him and gently gave him my hand, which he took gently and, after allowing me to stand up, used to guide me to the center of the gazebo floor. Swaying gently with him, I was reminded why I had grown to like him so much in the first place. I placed my head on the taller boy's shoulder, slightly infuriated that I was just barely 5'1" _with_ heels. Stupid genetics.

We continued to move just like that for the next few minutes. At one point I heard our bet cellist, Levi, joined Erwin and played a cello-violin duet of A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. To say the least, I was happier than I had been in a long time.

"Lady! Are you okay?!" Armin's startled voice awoke me from my reverie and, putting a hand to my face, I realized that I was silently crying.

"Fucking hell," I muttered. Then I looked up and started spluttering, trying to correct my language. "No, wait, shit- goddammit! That's not what I meant to say at all!"

Instead of running away like I expected him to, Armin simply started laughing. "I actually like it when you curse," he explained. "The look on your face is priceless when you do."

"Really," I countered coyly. "I thought princes were all into the prim-and-proper-princess thing. And here I am, cursing the world away and dancing with someone other than my betrothed-to-be."

Armin smiled. "Not all princes are into the prim and proper thing. Hey," he said, suddenly changing the topic. "Wanna race to the steps from here?"

I raised my eyebrows and gestured at my dress. "Do you really expect me to be able to run in this thing?" I questioned, and Armin giggled a little bit. "I suppose not,"he mused. Ignoring all sense of decorum I looked at the boy, smiled, and made a run for the steps. I heard Armin yelp behind me, and a set of footsteps behind me running. He caught up with me and lifted me up off the ground, despite my protests.

"Geez, for a girl you're really heavy!" he grunted as me put me down. "Blame the dress," I quipped. "It's at least ten pounds, not including all the jewels and stuff like that." Armin laughed at the comment, and I pretended to be offended. "What? It's true!" Smiling at that last bit, I turned to give Armin a quick hug. He returned it easily, and I figured that it was a wonder that no one had spotted me yet talking to a boy other than my fiancé- except the two musicians and Hanji, but I trust them enough to keep a secret, so I wasn't worried.

I heard the sound of heels approaching us, and I looked up to see Mikasa approaching us. "The party is about to end, my lady," she warned me. "I highly suggest you depart for the ballroom now and bid them farewell."

Nodding and sighing, I turned to Armin. "We should go," I suggested, and he nodded. Nodding at Mikasa, he said, "Pleasure to see you agin, Lady Mikasa."

"Prince Arlert," she responded, and the three of us departed for the ballroom. Chatting idly, Eren joined us in the hall just outside the ballroom, and as I entered I snuck into my throne without anyone noticing. Another butler tapped me on the shoulder, signaling that it was time to say farewell, and I stood up to wave goodbye to all of the guests that weren't staying in the palace.

* * *

It took a long time, but all of the guests left. Climbing down from the throne with my arm on Erwin's, I commented to him, "Very nice playing tonight, sir." He nodded and smiling. "Thank you my lady," he responded. "Speaking of which, would you like another lesson soon? They would be very good for you."

Knowing very well that he wasn't talking about the violin, which I had practically already mastered, I nodded. "I would, but I need to check what I am doing tomorrow. I will send Mikasa to either you or Levi with the message."

Erwin nodded. "Why don't you ask her now?" he suggested, and I saw her standing right next to us. I raised my eyebrows in shock. How had she gotten here without my noticing?!

"Tomorrow you have a meeting with the commander of the military at eleven," she described. "Then you have dinner with the conductor of the orchestra at six, which should last about two hours. The best time for your lesson would be at eight thirty, and it would be recommended to last roughly an hour."

"Eight thirty it is, Sensei," I said, and nodding he left for Levi's side. Taking that as my signal to leave, I bade everyone good night and left for my rooms. Armin accompanied me, as we were staying in the same palace wing. We chatted about idle things until we reached my rooms.

"Goodnight, my lady," Armin said, and he knelt to kiss my hand. Blushing, I responded, "Goodnight, my lord."

I entered my rooms and sighed. That was an extremely entertaining party. I got changed for bed and fell asleep almost as soon as I climbed into my bed.


	7. Chapter 7: Mikasa and Military Meeting

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**

I groaned as the sound of the usual alarm clock woke me up in the morning. Rolling over, I saw the time was 8:17. Slamming my hand down on the snooze button, I closed my eyes for a few more minutes of precious sleep. Less than two minutes later Mikasa found me and shook me.

"Alexis!" she exclaimed. "You need to bathe before ten, otherwise you'll be sopping wet when you see Commander Dawk!"

"Lady," I said, "geez, Mikasa, I'm getting up!" And without hesitation I sat up on the bed, and Mikasa dragged me by the arm to the bathroom. Of course, she stepped outside while I cleaned myself off, because not only wasn't it proper to have a maid with you in the bathroom, it was just awkward for me; I never really liked the eyes of complete strangers on me.

Half an hour later I walked out and Mikasa was holding a burgundy satin dress in her hands. Slipping it on after my underwear, I sat still as she put makeup on my face. It felt heavy and slightly sticky; I resisted the urge to wipe it off with the back of my hand. Then I noticed the dagger in a holster on her thigh, and I raised my eyebrows.

"What's with that dagger on your thigh?" I questioned, remembering what I saw yesterday morning when she got Eren.

Mikasa stiffened at that question quite visibly. As I was about to apologize, she shook her head. "I carry it for self defense purposes," she responded quietly. "A few years back I was kidnapped by traffickers in England and was transported to Italy. That's when Eren found me and killed off the traffickers. The Queen of Italy, her name was Karla at the time, felt sympathy and adopted us into her royal family, although only as a servant. When she passed, the new queen had Eren moved to butler status, and a few days ago we were transferred to this palace."

She sighed, and I stared at her, my jaw dropping. "No way," I commented. "Who's targeting you? We need to make sure you aren't targeted here!"

She nodded. "Don't worry about it too much, lady. It's better if you don't know , but, if you insist... The Titans."

* * *

After our awkward talk, Mikasa finished my makeup, and I grabbed a tan, cropped jacket, feeling cold. It had two pockets on the chest, one with the royal family's crest, the Wings of Freedom. The wings were also large on the back of the jacket, barely hidden under my heaping mass of hair that was pleated and braided to the middle of my back. Placing on some burgundy heels on my feet, I slipped outside of my room and walked to the conference office, where eren was waiting for me.

"Good morning, lady!" he greeted cheerfully, and I looked at him. "Good morning, Eren," I responded, trying not to show him I knew of the Titan's plans. Even if he did notice, he didn't show it.

Eren pushed open the door, and I entered the round room. It had a tea set on a small table in the center of the room, where Commander Dawk was sitting and waiting for me.

"Commander," I greeted, and he saluted me as she stood up. "Lady Princess," he responded as I nodded at him to sit down once again. "How have you been?"

I sighed. "I've been doing well. And how have you been, Commander?"

He nodded at me. "We've found evidence of a terrorist organization that plans to overthrow the royal family. They already set their targets on two servants from the Italian court."

I narrowed my eyes, immediately knowing who the commander was talking about. "And who would those people be?" I inquired. Dawk sighed and looked at me, bringing his cup of tea to his mouth. "The Titans, my lady," he responded after he had drunken from the cup.

I felt my eyes widen as I heard the name, and the commander looked up at me again after setting his tea down. "Oh, and we have reasons to suspect moles in the royal court to the Titans," he added as he registered my reaction. "Is something wrong, my lady?"

I shook my head. "Set guards on the servants immediately, and make sure that you keep tabs on the suspected moles at all times. And that's an _order_," I commanded, and Dawk nodded. "If I may, lady, why the sudden order?" he asked, and I glared at him.

"I know the servants who are being targeted; they have _daggers_ on them at all times to protect themselves. Can't get more obvious than that."

His eyes widened as he understood what was going on. "Whatever you say, my lady," he exclaimed, and he saluted me before taking his leave. I sighed, putting my head in my hands, and wondered, 'Am I really cut out for this? Being responsible for an entire palace and country's well being at 16?'

The answer was no, that I wasn't. Giving up, I stood up and walked to my rooms, shutting the door gently as I entered.

* * *

**A/N **I am so sorry for the late update guys! School's literally been a drag and I haven't been able to get anything done. -_- I promise that I'll be writing more often after next week.


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